If I titled it, it would give away the second chapter
by WindWisp
Summary: Riku has been acting weird lately. He's been coming back later and later, each time more beaten up than the last, and Cloud's getting concerned. Clouku. Lemon warning.
1. Secrets

**A/N: We had an unexpected day without classes (the circumstances were horrible, but writing tends to be a good way to distract myself), so I finally finished typing this up. It's only the first chapter, and it hasn't been edited yet, but let me know what you guys think. I'll admit that my past two stories kind of sucked, but hopefully this one will end up better.**

**It has a LEMON, after all.**

**I don't like to use explicit words for body parts, just because I don't, but if there are any youngsters out there, just know what you're getting into, 'kay?**

**Oh, and it's YAOI. Or, because none of the Japanese transfer students at my school seem to know what yaoi is, I'll call it explicit BL, as well.**

**It's rated M for a reason, folks.**

It was later than usual when Cloud, Leon, and Cid returned to their lodgings at Merlin's house. They had been working on the restoration all day, and had stayed late to rebuild a wall that Yuffie had somehow managed to nail together in the shape of a trapezoid. The window had to be re-installed, as well.

So after the silent walk across town, the three were terribly relieved to be home. Cid plopped down on the couch next to Aerith, who was rolling bandages for Heartless victims, and Leon went straight upstairs to change out of his dust-covered clothing. Cloud, as a matter of routine, stood in the doorway and did a quick glance-over of the main room. Its only other inhabitants were Sora and Yuffie at the table, the latter filling Sora in on an admittedly funny anecdote from the afternoon involving Leon, a can of paint, and Donald's dear nephews. Cloud, having seen said incident, was less than enthralled and so directed the conversation toward a more pressing matter.

"Where's Riku?" he asked Sora. The two boys had been scouting the districts for Heartless while the others were building or, in Aerith's case, healing those who had gotten attacked or fallen off a roof. *coughSoracough* As for Merlin, he was always out doing unidentified wizardly things of dire importance.

Sora shrugged, replying "I dunno. He said he wanted to take another round through the town, just to make sure we got all the Heartless." He cocked his head. "Why do you keep asking? I mean he's been doing it for like two weeks now."

Oh yes, Cloud knew. It had almost become a routine. Cloud would wake up early to start work, and Riku would still be asleep, along with every other sane person in Hollow Bastion. Cloud would then mentally curse Leon for making him start work this early, and then grab a cup of caffeine on his way out.

Cloud usually got home around five, and sometimes helped Aerith make dinner. Stoically and with great resistance, of course. He just couldn't say no to that girl, partially because she had too much blackmail material. Sora would magically appear when the food was ready, and Riku would normally be back a half hour later, making sure the townspeople were all safely in their homes before he ended his patrol. The food was still warm when he got back. Except that, lately, Riku hadn't been coming back. Not on time, anyway. Every day he returned later and later, each evening more worn out and beaten up than the one before.

When Riku limped in one night past midnight with a deep gouge in his left thigh, wrapped up with his potion-soaked shirt, Cloud confronted him, only to be dismissed with "It's just Heartless stuff. Don't worry about it."

The distress must have shown on Cloud's face, though, because Riku had put his arms around his neck and murmured, "Look, it's just that I've started seeing more and more come out at night, so I take on as many as I can handle before I come back, okay?"

Riku had then given Cloud a short kiss, laid down on the bed, and promptly fallen asleep. While Cloud was still worried, he knew that Riku was aware of his own abilities and wouldn't take on more than he could handle.

These thoughts did little to soothe him in the three hours it took for him to fall asleep.

That had been a week ago. Cloud had been trying to wait up for him every night, but the lack of sleep was really getting to him. Added in with the silence and the darkness, it was very difficult to stay awake. On the one or two days when he had been able to stay awake, Riku would come back, wash up, and then fall immediately asleep, with hardly a sentence said between them.

This past night, Riku had gotten back at 4:30 in the morning, meaning that he would probably be back even later tonight. If this kept up, Cloud would soon be waking up before Riku returned, meaning that neither of them would even set eyes on the other unless one of them got a day off. Which, knowing Leon, would be never.

So basically, Cloud was pissed, particularly so because no one else seemed to notice Riku's odd behavior. Moreover, he felt equal parts rejected and concerned, as the long hours were very obviously taking a toll on Riku's health. Staying in the house only as long as it took to get his sword, Cloud headed out to sweep the districts. It didn't take too terribly long for him to find Riku, who was standing on the cliff at the edge of town, looking toward what used to be Maleficent's castle.

Cloud sighed and dropped his arms, letting his sword drag on the ground. The sound startled Riku, who spun around with his blade poised to attack. Strangely enough, however, it wasn't until he registered who was in front of him that he started to look panicked.

"Cloud?" Riku said, stunned. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be back at Merlin's house? What do you think you're doing here?! … Don't you have to work tomorrow?"

Cloud's only response was "I might ask you the same question."

Riku looked guilty and even slightly frightened, but Cloud plowed on.

"Riku, I feel like I haven't seen you in ages; we haven't spoken to each other in over a week. The only time I ever get to see you is when you're asleep. What the hell is going on? Do you just stand here waiting for the Heartless to come and then attack them one by one? That doesn't seem very efficient to me."

Riku ducked his head, standing in silence as he tried to hide himself from Cloud's gaze.

"So if you aren't out here fighting Heartless, then what are you doing?" Cloud asked. This time Riku actually turned his back on Cloud to stare at the castle once again. Cloud's anger deflated, the feelings of rejection coming back tenfold.

"Riku…" Cloud sighed, "Are you avoiding me on purpose?"

Another 180-degree spin. "No! No, I just… I can't explain. I just have to do this, okay?"

"Do what?"

"Just," Riku stuttered. "I just have to stay up here. I can see the entire gorge from here. It's the perfect spot. They just come right to me."

"Then I'll stay up here with you and –"

"No! ... I mean, I … but… but…" Riku's exhaustion was obviously affecting his eloquence. "You can't stay up that late. You get up earlier than I do. You have to go home. Please!"

Cloud stalked toward Riku, who couldn't move away, lest he fall off the cliff's edge.

"If I'm going, you're coming with me."

Before Riku could protest, Cloud grabbed his arm and pulled him to his chest, giving him one of those burning, sensual kisses that made the boy melt. True to form, Riku's muscles immediately relaxed, and he clung to Cloud as if his legs could no longer support his body. He gave in so quickly and willingly that Cloud had to wonder if Riku had missed him as much as he had missed Riku. The thought brought his wounded self-esteem back to its normal level. Which wasn't very high, but still.

When Cloud was satisfied that Riku was fully entranced, he broke the kiss and led the boy back through town, making sure that he never regained his senses enough to resist. He didn't have to do much, as Riku's hands were trailing patterns across his arm the entire time they walked. They only walked in about 20 yard intervals, as one of the two would eventually give in and push the other against the nearest wall, the kisses a preview of what the rest of the night would hold.

It took them about five times longer than usual to get back to Merlin's house, but once they were there they wasted no time at all going up the steps and into the bedroom. Cloud had never been so grateful that Merlin had put sound shields on all of the rooms. It had mainly been because of Yuffie and Sora, but Cloud was going to take full advantage of it tonight. He wanted to make Riku scream.

Riku was slowly, teasingly lifting Cloud's shirt, but the man was getting impatient and jerked the garment over his head. It was quickly joined on the floor by Riku's adornments. Cloud pushed Riku down onto the bed, using his mouth to distract him as he pulled down his own pants.

When both were completely exposed, Cloud's restraint had mostly evaporated, and he straddled Riku, offering him his fingers to suck. After a moment of fierce grinding, Cloud reclaimed his fingers, shifting his position so that he could kiss Riku once again. Amidst the distraction, Cloud inserted two fingers into the boy.

Riku gasped, but judging by the way he was moving, he didn't seem to mind that much; he'd been stretched much farther before. There was a pause and a slight whimper as the third finger went in, but Riku soon made it clear that he wanted more.

Cloud smirked. Riku had always been a bit of a masochist.

He jerked out his fingers and rammed into the boy in front of him, ripping a scream from the boy's throat that morphed into a loud moan as Cloud started moving. Cloud kept up a merciless pace as he nipped and licked Riku's exposed neck, every once in a while capturing his lips for another kiss. He hadn't felt this in two weeks, so when Riku moaned for him to go harder, he released all of his repressed energy, growling as the boy writhed beneath him.

Cloud could tell that Riku was getting close, and he wanted to pull him over the edge. Leaning forward, his sweat mingling with Riku's, he whispered into the boy's ear, "Come with me. Let me hear you scream my name." With this, he bit less than gently into Riku's shoulder.

"Cl–Cloud!" Riku screamed, moaning and shuddering as he was incapacitated by a white heat.

Before he let himself go, Cloud savored the feeling of Riku's muscles contracting around him. Only when they began to slow down did Cloud finally allow himself to release, moaning louder than he had in quite a while.

After exerting himself completely, Cloud collapsed onto his lover, the two of them panting as one.

When they could once again hear their heartbeats, Cloud rolled himself off of Riku. Lying down, Cloud pulled Riku to him, stroking his hair and wrapping a strong arm around him.

Just before succumbing to sleep, Cloud rested his head atop Riku's, murmuring a soft "Goodnight, love."

Riku just "Hmm"d and fell asleep smiling.

Neither noticed the slight silver gleam as a figure flew away from the moonlit window.

Feel free to review; it makes the characters happy. And we like it when they're happy, right?

- `WindWisp


	2. Darkness Rising

** So... you know how I said that the title would give away the second chapter? I lied. I hadn't written the second chapter yet, and the story turned out to be a lot longer than I originally intended. Riku's secret was going to come out in this chapter, but things didn't turn out that way. So I think I'll have to change the title. The one on ffn, not the secret one the file is called on my computer.**

** On a completely unrelated note – I went as Cloud to an anime convention a week or two ago, and I was going to get a picture with a Riku that I saw at one of the panels… but I had to leave before it ended… ****  
*****Sigh***** Maybe at the next one…**

Cloud awoke the next morning to a violent pounding on his door, accompanied by an even more obnoxious call having something to do with ten minutes, cold water, and scissors. He couldn't really see what tied those things together, but then again, it was five in the morning, so he wasn't exactly thinking straight.

Rolling to his side to slide out of bed, he found his progress impeded by something on top of him. Looking down, he saw Riku's head on his chest, moving around a bit and making the cute little noises that announced his awakening.

Not a bad way to wake up, actually.

After a few moments, Riku's eyes had cracked open, and he lifted himself up onto his forearms, looking sleepily at Cloud.

"Good morning," Cloud smirked, smoothing down silver hair. Riku gave him a soft smile, leaned in for a kiss and then lay back down, cuddling into Cloud's neck.

Cloud kept running his fingers through Riku's hair, enjoying the small humming noises that the action elicited. He had missed waking up to this.

The peace was shattered a few moments later, however, when there was once again a knock on the door, this time accompanied by Yuffie's voice: "Yo ~ Spiky! Squall says that if you're late, he's pairing you with me today!"

At this, Cloud shot up, dislodging Riku as he practically jumped out of bed and began to get himself ready. Riku gave a low chuckle. "Well. I see what motivates you in the mornings. I'll have to remember that the next time I need you to help me with something."

Cloud was too busy to respond with even a glare as he pulled on his clothing and started a dash to the door. Riku caught him by the back of his shirt, pulling him backward until he could give him a kiss.

After a few moments, however, Yuffie popped back into Cloud's mind, and he pulled away, shouting back a "Bye! Love you!" as he ran through the doorway.

Down in the kitchen, Leon was standing by the door, looking at his watch. He didn't look up as Cloud rushed out of the hallway, giving Aerith a peck on the cheek as she held out a mug of coffee for him. Yuffie looked slightly put-out as he grabbed a piece of toast with his other hand and got to the door just as Leon was walking out.

Although he was glad to have something to do with his time, Cloud found that the Restoration could be very tedious. Most of his days were spent down by the old castle, moving pipes around, rebuilding walls, and clearing passageways. About a week ago they'd found a way down into the waterways, and Cloud's current project was mapping them out. Which meant trudging through water all day.

Oh well. The heartless had started acting up again recently, so at least he got to do some fighting, instead of working with the townspeople like Yuffie did.

The first half of the day was uneventful enough, and by the time lunch came around, Cloud was not only soaked up to his knees, but his brain hurt from all of the gates and switches he'd been using all day. Leon had been adamant about keeping them in place, though, as he wanted to maintain the castle's defense systems as much as possible.

When he came back aboveground, he saw that Leon and Cid were already eating in the study, the latter tapping away at the computer between bites. Cloud grabbed the last sandwich, leaning up against the wall with it and a bottle of water. His mind was blessedly empty – or perhaps just water-logged – as he ate, looking over Cid's shoulder at a bunch of code he neither understood nor cared about.

The three were almost finished eating when they heard running footsteps, followed by Sora crashing through the door to the study, panting heavily. "Se…Se…" Sora stopped and put his hands on his knees, taking in a few gulps of air.

"Well, spit it out, kid," cracked Cid.

"…Sephiroth…"

Cloud had his sword in seconds. Before he could begin questioning Sora, however, Tron popped up on the computer screen, scaring Cid half to death.

"User, there is an unidentified presence on the castle grounds. It somehow managed to evade my sensors, and is now hovering above the eastern third floor balcony."

"It's him," Cloud growled. Without another word, he pushed past Sora, rushing through the halls with Leon right behind.

As soon as they had turned the last bend, Cloud stopped dead, snapping his sword into position. Even when Leon ran into him from behind, he didn't move a muscle.

Sephiroth.

The bastard was right there, only a few yards away, staring into Cloud's eyes with that infuriating smirk.

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Cloud. I'm terribly sorry I haven't been around, but there were more important matters to take care of."

"Shut up," Cloud growled. "What do you want?"

"My, my, you're slipping, Cloud. I would have thought you'd already figured out my entire plan." Sephiroth looked beyond Cloud. "It seems you've brought a friend."

"You leave him the fuck alone."

Sephiroth chuckled. "Ah, I see. Your lover, perhaps?"

Cloud leaped at Sephiroth with a shout, blade slicing into the floor as Sephiroth flew upwards.

"It seems I've struck a nerve. And here I was merely curious about the life you've managed to piece together in my absence. A cheap imitation of your life within the darkness, I presume. No matter. I'm here to reclaim you."

"Not a chance, you sick bastard."

There was that sadistic smirk again. "You reject me, and yet your heart still yearns for the darkness."

"Shut up!"

"Temper, temper. I'm simply trying to help. Soon you will wish you had accepted my offer."

"What do you mean?" growled Leon, stepping out from behind Cloud.

"It would seem that you are just as ignorant as your lover," Sephiroth replied, smirking at the growls this elicited from both men. He continued, "You should know by now that darkness will never be truly gone from this world. Always it seeks to reclaim its own, searches for a way to… resurrect. And just when you think you've defeated it for good…" Sephiroth snapped his fingers and the balcony filled with Defenders, causing Cloud to jump back to where Leon was standing. "It's back. Just remember, you aren't the only one who has been touched by the darkness."

The Defenders attacked, mercilessly snapping and bashing at Cloud and Leon who had hastily taken up battle positions. By the time the last shield clattered to the ground, Sephiroth had disappeared. Cloud stabbed his sword into the ground with a roar before noticing an object lying where Sephiroth had been, well, floating. He bent to pick it up. "What do you think this is?" he asked Leon.

"I don't know, but this whole thing is making me uneasy."

Cloud turned to leave, but Leon stopped him. "Umm… Cloud?" The man gave him a questioning look, so Leon just pointed at the other's shoulder.

Cloud cursed. His wing had come out again. "Well, that won't be going away any time soon." He cursed again before making his way back through the winding halls to the study, followed closely by Leon. Sora, who had been anxiously picking at the remains of a sandwich, jumped up at their entrance. "What happened? Why were you gone so …" Sora paused, eyes trained on the object in Cloud's hand. "Umm…what's that?"

"We don't know. It was a parting gift from our dearest friend," said Leon, Cloud tossing Sora the object in question.

"But," began Sora, a quizzical look on his face, "Why would he give you a rotten paopu fruit?"

**Dun dun dun! **

**The more of this story I write, the longer and more complex it wants to be. Beyond the next few chapters, I'm not even sure what will happen. I guess it all depends on how Cloud takes the truth about what Riku is doing…**

**This chapter was a bit short, but I wanted to end on the paopu thing.**

**Anyway, Happy New Year's a bit late, and now that I'm actually working on chapters in order, I'll try to update sooner.**

**Many, many thanks to the lovely people who reviewed and favorited! (as well as kicked my ass in gear to post this chapter.) I'll try not to draw out the suspense for too long… there's just so much that needs to happen!**

As always, reviews earn you my love.

**~WindWisp**


	3. Tension

**My thanks to the wondrous and lovely guest who reviewed the last chapter. You made me so happy! And gave me some encouragement when I really needed it.**

**So! This is chapter three. It is being posted as a celebration that A) Classes have just begun, so I have no homework (and was therefore able to finish this, albeit unedited chapter), and B) Ohayocon starts tomorrow! Hence, I am in full out geek mode, and totally skipping one of my classes tomorrow so that I can get there at a decent time.**

**Enjoy!**

"_But…" began Sora. "Why would he give you a rotten paopu fruit?"_

"A what?" asked Cid.

"A paopu fruit," Sora repeated. "There's this legend back home that if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. I didn't think they grew anywhere but the islands, though…"

"What do you suppose it means?" Leon asked.

"I dunno… you said you got it from Sephiroth?"

Leon nodded.

"Well… umm… did he say anything about it?"

"No," Cloud shook his head, donning his jacket to hide the wing that had sprung from his back. "He just spouted some random shit about how the darkness was getting stronger and coming back to reclaim its…" He trailed off, eyes widening.

"What?" asked Sora, looking to an equally nonplussed Leon when Cloud didn't answer. "Its what?"

"Sora, where's Riku?" Cloud whispered.

"Umm… we split up about half an hour ago. He's probably on one of his normal routes. Why?"

"Find him." Cloud's tone brooked no argument, and Sora all but ran out the door.

"Okay, what the devil is goin' on here?" Cid piped in.

"Riku," Cloud stated, hands balling into fists. "It's Riku. Sephiroth said that I wasn't the only one who had been touched by the darkness. He meant Riku. That's what the fruit means – it came from Destiny Islands. Something's targeting him."

"Sneaky bastard," said Cid. "Now everyone's gonna be all nervous and jumpy. You sure it's Riku, though? I mean, he ain't the only one from that island."

His comment was met with silence.

"He's the only one close to the darkness," Cloud muttered. "Sora's been constantly targeted by it, but he's always been able to win. But Riku…"

"But Riku what?" came an angry voice from the doorway. Sora had come back with the boy in question, and the latter was staring at Cloud with death in his eyes.

Instead of guilt for speaking behind Riku's back, however, Cloud found himself filled with anger, and stalked up toward the two boys. Sora was smart and got out of the way, but Riku stood his ground. "What the fuck is going on here?" shouted Cloud, causing the three onlookers to cringe. "Where the hell have you been and why the fuck didn't you tell me the darkness was coming after you again?"

Riku's anger mixed with confusion. "Will you stop yelling at me and tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Sephiroth's back, and apparently he's just scouting for an army. He comes here spouting all of this shit about how the darkness is coming back and how it's going to 'reclaim its own,' and apparently he's now learned how to summon the Heartless, too."

The anger had flooded from Riku's face to be instantly replaced with apprehension. "Sephiroth's back? But I thought he –"

"Yeah? Well me too." Cloud snapped.

"So what does this have to do with me?"

"He gave us this," said Leon, tossing Riku the paopu.

Riku looked skeptical. "A paopu fruit? Okay…"

"It's a fruit from your island! You've been taken in by the darkness before! Not to mention the fact that you've been gallivanting off to gods-know-where for the past two weeks, coming home looking as if you've just been attacked by a fucking Behemoth. Who the fuck do you think you're fooling?"

"Excuse me?" Riku's voice had turned dangerous.

Cloud finally realized what he'd said. "Riku, I didn't mean –"

"Oh, you didn't?" said Riku, his voice dripping with venom. "Because it seemed to me as though you were accusing me of working for the darkness again. So what exactly did you mean?"

Cloud's brain was working furiously for something to say, but nothing came.

"I see. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some hearts to go steal, so I'll be taking my leave." Riku gave a mock bow and turned on his heel, stalking out of the room. After a few stunned seconds, Sora scrambled after him.

Cloud deflated, cursing profusely as he sank to the ground.

"Well, that went well," said Cid, breaking the silence that had been suffocating the room. I wouldn't go after him if I were you, kid. He looked likely to slice off your head. Sora's a braver man than me."

Leon walked over and kicked Cloud's boot. "Come on, time to get back to work. It'll keep your mind off of things."

Cloud groaned. This was just not his day.

But he dutifully pushed himself off of the ground and meandered his way back down to the waterways. It was the same routine over and over again. Push. Walk. Write. Push. Push. Curse. Walk. Push. Write. Etc. Cloud's feet were starting to hurt more from being sucked dry by the water than from anything else. The gates were creaking with rust, and moved so slowly that Cloud wondered whether or not Leon might find his corpse down here someday, still trying to finish this stupid, pointless map. Cloud pushed another button, and the gate to his right began to slide open, but it got stuck after a few inches, the mechanism grinding together with a screech to terrify even the bravest of Heartless. Cloud smacked the button again to close it, but it didn't move. At least the screeching had stopped, though.

Cloud pushed the button again and again and again, each time willing the gate to open further, at least far enough that he could get through, but it never did. It just kept screaming from the abuse. Finally, on a push when the door had stopped squeaking, Cloud got fed up and tried to move it on his own. As much as he pushed and pulled, however, the gate simply wouldn't budge, and soon Cloud was sweating so much that he had actually considered sitting down in the water on the ground.

He decided that he had worked enough in this wretched place for today, and began his way back, consulting his writing at each confusing turn. It seemed as though the awful noise from the gate earlier had frightened away any Heartless that might have been lurking around the area.

When he finally reached solid, dry ground, Cloud sat, supporting his back with the wall as he closed his eyes and drank in what little sun shone through the clouds. He took off his shoes, hoping that they would dry out soon, but not really confident that they would do so.

Oh well. At least the brain-numbing work down in the waterways had taken his mind off of –

Riku.

Cloud may have repressed the conversation, but now the entire scenario flooded back into his head in full color and detail. He tried playing the scene over and over again in his head, looking for a way that it could have gone better, but he couldn't find any. Cloud had just been concerned. He hadn't meant to suggest that Riku was reverting to the darkness, he had just been afraid that… Well, afraid that Riku was reverting to the darkness. But he wasn't blaming Riku!

Cloud had been trying to be patient, figuring that Riku would enlighten him eventually, but as time went on without a single hint, Cloud began to worry in earnest, holding in his concerns so as not to pressure Riku.

But the pressure had been building and building, and Riku was just so goddamn stubborn!

Cloud didn't know how long he'd been lost in his thoughts when Cid came up and kicked him. The sky had turned to dusk, and Leon and Cid were both standing and staring at him. Cloud looked up at the sky before he stood, searching for some sort of answer in the stars.

…

_What the hell?_ He thought. _Stars? Really? Gods, Cloud, when did you become such a freaking sap?_

He shook himself out of his brief lapse of rationality and pushed himself from the wall, standing up in the process. Cloud didn't make eye contact as he trod the path back to Merlin's house, but he could feel the other two men's stares on his back the entire way there.

Sora was sitting at the table when they arrived, and jumped up as if he had been waiting for them. Cloud tried to walk straight past him, but the kid was ridiculously insistent, going so far as to walk nonchalantly ahead of Cloud to block the way into the hall, turning and addressing the blonde.

"So Riku said –"

Cloud groaned, wanting nothing more than to forget anything had happened today. Maybe, if he went to sleep, he would wake up and everything would be normal again.

Shit. There was that sappiness again. Damn, that was getting annoying.

"Umm…" continued Sora. "Riku said he's gonna try to come back early tonight, but he wasn't happy about it. He sort of threw the paopu at one of the Defenders… Anyway, he was really pissed off, but I think he'll cool down a bit now that he's on his own. I just think he sort of misinterpreted things. You know, you really weren't that eloquent today, Cloud." Sora stopped when Cloud's face turned murderous, and stepped aside to let him into the hallway.

Reaching his room, Cloud stopped just short of punching the wall, opting for the mattress instead. The bed creaked dangerously, but he continued projecting his rage, laying down when the rage morphed into sadness and guilt. The same thoughts kept running through his head – you know, the ones that have been visited like three times in this story already? – and he lay there brooding until Riku came home, not even noticing that he'd barely eaten anything that day.

The clock read 11:09 pm when Cloud heard the door open. He didn't feel like getting his hopes up, and he really didn't feel like facing Riku, so he stayed lying on the bed. What could he even say? 'I'm sorry for accusing you of what you consider one of the worst mistakes of your life?' 'I only did it for your own good?' or what about 'It's your own fucking fault so tell me what the fuck is going on and maybe I won't yell at you again?' And of course, just as this conflict was going through his head, the very object of his torment came through the door, looking for all intensive purposes as if everything were normal. Cloud sat up tentatively, not wanting to set Riku off again, and watched as he moved around the room, preparing to go to sleep.

_Say something, you idiot!_ Cloud told himself, but he couldn't come up with any words. Riku certainly didn't volunteer any, and there was complete silence until Riku got into bed, the frame creaking a bit from its earlier ordeal. Riku lay down facing away from Cloud, who was still sitting up, desperately trying to think of something he could say that would at least thin the tension.

"Riku…"

Nope, still tense.

"Riku, look at me."

So much tension.

"Goddamnit, Riku! Will you just turn around?!"

Cloud's heart fractured just a little bit when he got no reaction. It was as if he didn't even exist, and Riku was sleeping in the bed alone. Even if he did deserve it (after all, he had yelled at Riku again), it made him feel even farther away from Riku than before. Things couldn't keep on like this, or… Cloud didn't want to finish that train of thought, so he resolved to talk to Riku the next day, even if it meant cornering him or skipping work. It wouldn't be easy getting Riku to talk, and Cloud had to be prepared for a vicious fight; Riku could hurt him like no one else could.

Sighing, he stayed up for another half hour or so, watching Riku until he was sure he was asleep, and then lay down gently beside him, trying not to wake the boy as he gently wrapped his arms around him. "Goodnight, love," he murmured.

There was no response.

**I don't know how some of these authors can pump out 2 and 3 thousand words a week – I can't work that fast! They have my great respect, though. I'm always happy when I get a notification in my inbox saying that someone has updated a story. I'm also happy when I get a notification that someone has reviewed, favorited, or followed, but that's another story.**

**Oh, and see that little blank box right below this? It's called a review box. Legend has it that if you put something inside and click the button, something good will happen. I don't really know, though – it's only a legend. ;)**

Much love,

~ WindWisp


	4. The Reason for Concern

**What's that? The legend came true? Oh my god! Look! A new chapter! 12 hours after the other one! I've had this one written for a while, and I decided to post it instead of waiting for the time to edit it, so if you notice any mistakes, let me know.**

**And for those of you who have never thought about it, being able to scrape a dent into a common coffee mug with just a fingernail would take forever fro a normal human and still be nigh impossible. Just keep it in mind.**

Leon knew something was wrong when he walked downstairs to see Cloud awake before him, coffee cup already in hand. He seemed restless, and was drumming his fingers on the counter.

"Strife?"

Cloud didn't give any sign of hearing him, just downed half of his mug.

Leon walked up and snatched it from him.

"Oi! What's your deal, Leonhart?"

"You're twitching."

And indeed, Cloud's entire body was shaking. His knuckles were white from the tension of his fists, and his eyes were even brighter than usual. His spikes were disheveled, as well, as if he had been running his hands through them. Not to mention that the coffee pot in the kitchen had been nearly emptied and it seemed Cloud had managed to scrape a dent into the mug in his hand.

Leon quirked an eyebrow. "Have you been up all night?"

"Yes, you idiot. Riku didn't come home."

"And how is this different from usual?"

"He came back at eleven last night. But, somehow, he managed to disappear again before I went to go to sleep," Cloud spat.

Leon took a step back. "So… what does that mean?"

"'What does that mean?'" Cloud mocked. "It means, Leonhart, that at some point between eleven o'clock and midnight last night, Riku felt that something was _so_ imperative that he needed to leave _again_ without giving the slightest reason or warning." All of the sarcasm was gone from Cloud's voice now, and his voice was rising with every word. "It means that in addition to coming home late, he's now apparently going to be leaving early, as well. Gods only know when he actually sleeps. It's a wonder the kid isn't dead yet! Oh, and the best part? No one but me seems to give a damn!" Cloud stopped his rant, breathing heavily. Leon was glad he'd gotten the coffee cup away from him, otherwise there was likely to be burning caffeine and shards of ceramic everywhere. Leon wouldn't have been surprised if the cup was thrown directly at him.

Cloud's yelling had woken up the rest of the house, and Leon took it as an excuse to turn away from the seething Cloud. Aerith, noting the death stare Leon was receiving, rescued him from the line of fire by recruiting him to help make toast. Even Sora came down to check out the ruckus, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "What's goin' on, Cloud? You're gonna wake Riku."

Cloud's glare narrowed in on Sora. "Is that so?" he hissed. "I suppose you simply didn't realize that he isn't here, nor has he been for the past two weeks. But I should quiet my voice because you're such a good friend, and so concerned for Riku's well-being."

Aerith had Sora wash fruit.

Everyone else had taken the hint, and had started getting themselves together, giving Cloud a wide berth. They all scurried around the kitchen, making sure to keep the coffee far away from Cloud. When everyone was ready and the still-shaken Sora had been sent back to bed, Cloud was the first one out the door, his coffee-induced pace making the others jog to keep up. No one bothered to stop him when he walked straight past the Restoration Site, his drawn sword sending out a warning to anyone who would dare. Cloud made straight for the cliff by the castle, pacing and glancing all around when he found it empty. With a great roar, he plunged his sword into the ground, dropping to his knees beside it.

Where the hell could Riku be?

Deciding it would be a better idea to wait for him here than to go searching the town, Cloud stood once again and began practicing with his sword. He did drill after drill after drill until even his coffee- and mako-flooded veins could no longer stand the exertion, and he fell heavily to the ground, panting on his hands and knees.

He didn't get it. Every spare minute, he'd been running scenarios through his head, but nothing added up. He just couldn't understand what was going on, and if Riku refused to tell him what anything, there was no way that Cloud could help. He smashed his fist into the ground. Why did Riku have to be so goddamned stubborn?

At the sound of footsteps, Cloud launched himself up, reclaiming his sword from the ground beside him. He was disappointed to find that it was nothing more than Leon running towards him, so he took another quick scan of the area. Still no Riku.

Upon finally reaching Cloud, Leon bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to regain his breath.

Cloud leaned on his sword, staring at Leon without pity. It served him right. Cloud didn't know for what, but it felt vindictive nonetheless. Maybe he was just feeling sadistic today. "What?" he grumbled.

Leon stood. "…Riku…" he managed out.

Cloud shot up. "What did you just say?"

"Riku… Castle…Restoration Site"

Cloud's eyes flashed and then he was gone, Leon breathlessly pelting after him until Cloud realized that he didn't know where specifically he needed to go. He stopped before he reached the castle, pacing until Leon could catch up. When he finally did, Leon paused for a few moments before turning to an impatient Cloud. "Before we go in," he panted. "I think… I should tell you – "

"Shut it and move, Leonhart." That dangerous, wild look was back in Cloud's eyes.

"Cloud – "

The next thing he knew, Leon was crushed up against a wall of rock, Cloud's hand wrapped threateningly around his throat.

"Where. Is. He?"

"They're in the study," Leon managed.

Cloud was gone before he could say another word, and Leon was left standing outside, one hand massaging his throat and the other trying to press away his oncoming headache.

When Cloud reached the study, he headed directly for the small group clustered against the far wall. Using a bit too much strength, he pushed Cid out of the way only to freeze at the sight before him.

Riku was slumped against the wall with Sora supporting his head and shoulders so that he wouldn't completely collapse. Gashes and bruises marred every inch of skin that wasn't painted with blood, and even his hair had been soaked and matted with red. Both of his eyes were closed, and he had a huge gash just barely missing his left eye, extending from above his eyebrow all the way down to his bottom lip. His right leg was bent at an unnatural angle, and the tattered remains of his clothing had been completely cut away from his shin, where skin and muscle had been sliced off to bare a good two inches of bone. Aerith was focusing her Cure spells on Riku's left hand, where several of the bones appeared to have been broken, and there were at least ten empty potion bottles next to Kairi, against whom Aerith seemed to be leaning for support.

Cloud walked slowly forward, falling to his knees as he moved to take the place of an obviously traumatized Sora. Yuffie walked over and helped Sora stand, hugging him as she walked him back to give Cloud room.

Riku's pulse was barely there, his breathing coming in short, erratic bursts. Eyes never leaving Riku's face, Cloud managed to whisper, "What happened?"

Aerith began to answer, but Kairi cut her off. "We don't know. Construction in the western hall was severely understaffed this morning, so everyone was helping them until more of the townsfolk could come. We found him here when Cid came in to check the computer during lunch. He was just lying on the ground in a pool of blood, but that was the only blood in the room – there were no trails, nothing on the walls – it makes no sense. I'm just glad we got here in time."

Cloud swallowed. "In time?"

No one would look at him.

"He was in even worse shape when we found him," Leon said. "Aerith's been doing all she can to heal him, but it's going to take some time." Yuffie hugged Sora as he began to sob silently, and he clung to her as she shook. "It shouldn't be taking this long, but he's in bad shape and the potions and healing spells aren't working as well as they should be. There's no telling when and if he'll be able to wake up."

Cloud was distraught, but he refused to cry. "What can I do?"

"I don't think there's much any of us can do."

Cloud closed his eyes; Leon was right. Cloud had never learned any magic, and potions apparently weren't going to be of much help, either. "He's freezing," Cloud murmured, but he was afraid hat any attempt to warm him up would only do more damage. One of his tears had fallen on Riku's shoulder, and was slowly rolling down, cleansing away a bit of the caked blood. It gave Cloud an idea. "I need warm water and a towel," he said to no one in particular. Cid left, moving faster than anyone had ever seen him go before. Sora had released Yuffie and came to sit down next to Cloud, using his own Cure spells to try to stem the bleeding in Riku's leg.

"Aerith."

The woman looked up at Cloud, weariness showing on her face.

"He will be okay?" Though phrased as a statement, Cloud's tone held no shortage on uncertainty.

Aerith let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know, Cloud. The healing spells are having some effect, but he's lost a lot of blood – "

"Then give him mine!" Cloud snapped. "Goddammit! Riku's dying and you're all just sitting around doing nothing!"

Leon stepped forward and put a firm hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Aerith has been doing all she can, Strife. Sora's been helping too, and when we find Merlin, he'll put in his effort, as well. The rest of us are in the same position as you."

Cid chose that moment to return. Pushing his way between Leon and Yuffie, he set a bucket and towel at Cloud's feet, stepping back without a word. Cloud dipped part of the towel in the water, wringing it out before delicately wiping away some of the crusted blood from Riku's face. In mere moments, the water in the bucket had turned dark with blood, and as more of Riku's skin was revealed, more and more wounds made themselves known.

No one moved for a long time, though tears had begun to trail down Yuffie's face, and the soft hum of Aerith and Sora's magic was accompanied only by the occasional splash of water. It wasn't until Aerith nearly fainted that everyone snapped out of their stupor.

"I think that's enough for right now," declared Leon. "Everyone needs rest, or we'll all be useless to him. Can he be moved?" The last was said to Aerith.

"Yes," she murmured, "but I'm afraid that the footsteps might be too jarring and restart the bleeding that we've managed to stem."

Cloud said nothing, but rose and positioned Riku in his arms so that his head and legs were supported.

"Cloud…" Leon began.

Without a word, Cloud unfurled his wing and lifted himself and Riku gently up into the air, flying out of the study as quickly and smoothly as he could. At least the damned wing was good for something. Not bothering with doors when he reached Merlin's house, Cloud flew through the open window to his and Riku's bedroom, laying Riku carefully down on the bed without caring about the blood that was slowly soaking into the sheets.

"Why didn't you let me help, you stubborn idiot?" Cloud whispered. His voice dropped to an almost nonexistent range as he knelt down beside the bed. "Gods, why didn't I go looking for you sooner?"

**Kya! I'm very proud of this chapter. It's sad, but it was so compelling to write.**

**The increase in life activities may keep me from posting the next chapter as soon, but I still appreciate reviews. **

**Oh, and those of you who have reviewed previous chapters – fell free to review again! It took me a few months on this site to realize that it was actually okay to review a story chapter by chapter…**

**Much love!**

**~WindWisp**


	5. Awakening

**I would like to take this moment to apologize to all of you lovely readers for taking so long to update. See, my computer crashed over the winter, and Geek Squad couldn't retrieve my files, so I lost bits and pieces of about 5 chapters of this. Two of them were actually finished, but happened later on in the story.**

**So basically, I was super disheartened and lost all motivation to work on the story. Sort of like how you play a game for 5 hours and then the battery dies and you realize you didn't save, and then you don't play the game again for a year? Am I the only one who does that?**

**Anyway, enough excuses! I love each and every one of you reviewers – you make me so happy!**

Cloud woke up to the sound of light rain against the window. The sky outside was dark and grey, even though it was morning, and it seemed as if any moment the sky would drown the earth in water. The low, constant murmur of thunder was barely discernible from the patter of rain.

Cloud shifted in his chair and sighed as what felt like every bone in his body cracked. Looking over at the bed, he was disheartened to note that Riku still hadn't woken up. Today marked the third morning that Riku had lain unresponsive. His breathing had steadied and his wounds were beginning to heal, but he had yet to open his eyes. Cloud reached over and took Riku's hand, studying the boy's face for any change. A streak of lightning illuminated the pale skin, throwing his injuries into sharp relief, and were it not for the steady rise and fall of Riku's chest, he might have been mistaken for a corpse.

The bedroom door clicked open and Aerith entered with a tray of food and a basket of potions. "I figured you would be here," she said, flashing Cloud a smile as she handed him breakfast. "Any improvement?"

Cloud just picked at his eggs, eyes downcast as Aerith set down her basket. The bedside table was littered with empty potion bottles, and Aerith swapped them out for the full ones she had brought. They only helped Riku a little, but it was worth it.

Watching as Aerith began to check Riku's injuries, Cloud spoke for the first time since he'd brought Riku home. "What did this?" He had his theories, of course, but they ranged from Ansem to a revived Organization XIII, so despite all of his thinking, he was technically no closer to a solution than he had been last week.

Aerith paused, sitting on the side of the bed as she uncorked one of the potions she had brought. "I don't know," she admitted.

Cloud sank down into his chair.

"At first," Aerith continued, "I thought maybe he had just been ambushed by Heartless, but the potions are doing minimal good, and even the combined efforts of three healers haven't helped as much as they should have. Some of the cuts are clean, while others are jagged and torn, which could be from the Heartless, but something just seems off. He's breathing normally, but he hasn't moved an inch. There's also…" Aerith paused, her brow furrowed.

"Well," she started, "I examined him fully the day you brought him back. But some of his injuries were… I was looking at…"

"What?" Cloud demanded.

"Cloud, I… I think he might have been raped."

All color drained from Cloud's face. "How do… how..?" His voice came out a mere whisper, but he couldn't breathe enough to finish the question. Aerith understood, though.

"There are signs – certain injuries that couldn't have happened otherwise. I'm sorry, Cloud." Aerith looked as if she was holding back tears. "He must have been through hell."

The color returned to Cloud's face with interest, and he stood up and stalked out the door, ignoring Aerith's calls for him to come back. Picking up his sword, he stormed out of the house and into the rain, cursing the Heartless for their aversion to rain; he needed something to take his anger out on.

Cloud splashed his way to the castle, where he assumed most of the Heartless would be hiding, and threw open the first door he came to. By now, the rain had begun pouring in earnest, and the soaked clothing and hair clinging to Cloud only put him in a fouler mood. At least a dozen Heartless materialized in reaction to the noise, and Cloud smiled viciously as he lifted his sword and charged into their ranks.

Several hours and injuries later, Cloud wound up back at Merlin's house. The front room was empty, so he assumed everyone had taken advantage of the break in the rain to go out and get some work done. They would be back soon, though; the sky had opened up as Cloud was walking home, the rainwater dissolving away the dried blood on his arms and re-opening his wounds.

He trudged upstairs, his desire for a shower the only coherent thought in his battle-numbed mind. Pushing open the door, he peeled off his shirt and kicked his boots into the corner.

"You look awful."

Cloud froze. That had sounded like…

"Riku?" Turning around, Cloud saw the boy staring at him, his head propped up on pillows. He rushed over, kneeling by the side of the bed, as Aerith appeared to have fallen asleep in his chair. "You're awake! When –"

"Cloud, you're bleeding all over the floor," Riku interrupted. Shouldn't you be doing something about those cuts on your arms?"

"Don't worry about it."

Riku rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Seriously – go get a shower and get yourself cleaned up." He smiled softly. "I'll still be here when you get back."

It was the quickest shower Cloud had ever taken.

He came back into the room his hair still dripping water, a towel across his waist and bandages around his arms and left leg.

"Why didn't you just use a potion?" Riku asked, eying the bandages. "They didn't look that deep."

Cloud sat on the edge of the bed. "You need them more than I do."

With an exasperated sigh, Riku used his uninjured hand to grab a potion from the bedside table. "Drink it," he said, holding it out to Cloud. Sensing reluctance, he added, "If you don't, I'm going to force you, but I'd rather not aggravate my wounds."

Cloud took the potion and downed it. "Happy now?"

Riku smiled, lifting Cloud's mood. "Ecstatic. What were you doing, anyway?" Riku asked.

"Heartless; nothing serious." Cloud leaned forward to kiss Riku softly on the lips, careful to support his weight so that he wouldn't disturb Riku's injuries. Pulling back just a bit, he moved so he could stroke his thumb against Riku's cheek and stared into the boy's eyes. They were darker than he remembered. "What about you?" Cloud murmured.

Riku froze, eyes darting away. "Just Heartless stuff."

It took every ounce of Cloud's self-control to keep from yelling right then. He might not have even bothered to hold back, but Aerith was still asleep. Instead, he settled for a menacing growl. "Bullshit. What kind of an idiot do you think I am? 'Heartless stuff'? You've been out for three days. I want a straight answer."

"Three days?"

Cloud nodded as the door downstairs opened and voices carried up the stairs.

Looking anywhere but Cloud's eyes, Riku took a deep breath. "I just made a mistake and took on more than I could handle. That's it."

Cloud sat back up straight, eyes flashing. "Why are you defending him?" he hissed.

At that, Riku's eyes widened and snapped to Cloud's. They held fear. "'He'? How… How did you…?"

Cloud couldn't keep a hold on his anger anymore, and it drained from his body. Looking down at his hands, he noticed that he was still wearing a towel, and moved to get dressed.

"Wait! How did you know?"

Pausing as he opened the wardrobe, Cloud closed his eyes. "Aerith said you were raped." His voice broke, echoing in the silence that ensued. He dressed slowly, not looking at Riku as he crossed to the door.

"I'll tell Sora you're awake," he murmured, and shut the door quietly behind him.

…**I'm not really happy with the way this chapter came out, mainly because it feels rushed, and I'm still not sure if I should have kept the rape in there. Is it too much? I might go back and change it, but I figured I should at least post what I had. Thoughts?**

**Well, that's all for now. I'm working on a oneshot that should be up soon, too, but hopefully now that I'm back in the swing of things I'll be updating more often.**

**- WindWisp **


	6. Unintentional Truth

**Well, this chapter was a pain in the ass. And by that I mean it took FOREVER to write, and fought me every step of the way. But it's done.**

**Whew.**

**Cloud's a bit of a sailor in this one…**

Cloud was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, staring intently at the teabag as he lifted it out of the mug. When it cleared the liquid, it started to spin ever so slightly, and Cloud found himself twisting the string so it wouldn't stop. The excess tea was slowly dripping from the bag into the cup, at a current rate of approximately one drop per six seconds.

It was positively riveting.

Until the string snapped and Cloud's hand was splashed with scalding tea.

Cursing under his breath, he resisted the urge to chuck the mug against the nearest wall and instead stood to rinse his hand in the sink.

"You okay?" Leon asked from where he'd been watching the spectacle in the doorway.

Cloud just scowled, shooting him a glare and stalking back to the table. Pointedly ignoring the question, he grabbed his mug and stared into the depths at the teabag that was soon to receive the full brunt of his frustration.

Leon gave up after a few moments, sighing as he left the kitchen.

Stupid Leon, with his stoic I'll-Just-Pretend-I-Don't-Give-a-Fuck-ness. Stupid tea for being so damn hot. Stupid Riku for being so fucking stubborn. Stupid internal hate monologues.

"Cloud?"

Stupid Aerith.

"Cloud, you're breaking my chocobo mug."

Stupid mug.

Aerith sighed and sat herself across from Cloud, easing the poor, yellow mug from his grip. She kept one of her hands on Cloud's, stroking his tense fist as she placed the mug far out of his reach.

"I take it you know Riku's awake."

Cloud just snorted.

"He seems to be doing well – all of that rest was good for him. It's been a long time since I've seen him smile the way he did when Sora started telling him about Leon's latest run-in with the triplets."

Stupid Sora and his funny anecdotes.

Cloud started a bit when Aerith snapped her fingers in his face.

"Look, Cloud, we've all been working really hard to get him to wake up, but he doesn't know that. He didn't see how much you were worried about him, and he won't unless you tell him. I know it's frustrating that he won't talk, but maybe he'll open up a bit once he fully understands the severity of the situation."

"_I_ don't fully understand the situation," Cloud groused.

Aerith sighed and changed tactics. "Try to understand what it's been like for him. Not only is he in physical pain, but he's probably feeling humiliated and used and ashamed about what happened to him."

"That's just stupid." Cloud decided he'd had enough lecturing. He stood and made a grab for the mug, but Aerith whisked it out of his reach.

"Think about it Cloud – Riku is an independent person. He doesn't want a knight in shining armor, he wants to deal with this himself, but he doesn't realize that he needs help. He probably has no idea that he almost died three days ago."

"What's your point, Aerith?"

"Just talk to him. Sitting here and brooding is only going to make things worse."

Grumbling, Cloud stalked out of the kitchen. He had no intention of listening to Aerith's advice, but somehow found himself standing in front of his bedroom door anyway, hand poised in mid-air as he tried to decide whether he should knock or just go in. It was his room, after all. He opened the door just as Sora was telling Riku how Leon had finally discovered the moustache the triplets had drawn on his face, and couldn't help but smile just a bit when he saw Riku. The boy had his hand over his mouth, and his eyes were nearly watering with the effort of not laughing out loud.

Lightly rapping his knuckles against the doorframe to announce his presence, Cloud made his way into the room. Luckily, Sora got the hint and bounced out with a wave and an "I'll be back later!" closing the door behind him as Cloud approached the bed.

Riku seemed nervous, and was looking anywhere but at the man approaching him, eyes darting around the room as if for an escape route. But Cloud just sat on the side of the bed Sora had vacated, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss on Riku's lips.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling back only far enough that he could see the confusion in Riku's eyes.

"For what?"

"I couldn't protect you."

Riku's rolled his eyes. "Will you stop being such an idiot? I don't need your protection. None of this is your fault, so just –"

"Shut up!" Cloud hissed, squeezing his eyes closed. "Just shut up! I don't care. If you had… if you…Dammit, Riku, you almost died and I couldn't do anything!"

"Stop blaming yourself for everything. If I die, it's my own fault for being so damn weak."

Cloud growled and stalked to the window as images of the past three days came back full-force. Riku covered in blood and bruises. Riku whimpering as Aerith tried to re-grow the skin and muscle that had been hacked from his leg. Riku coughing blood and gasping for breath, his pulse weak and erratic. Cloud could still feel it fluttering against his fingers like a sputtering candle. "Why?" he asked. "Why are you doing this?"

There was silence for a few moments as Cloud stared unseeing at the tempest outside.

"I can't tell you. But it's important."

"More important than your life?"

"…yes."

Cloud turned. "Wrong answer." Almost instantly he was back at the bed, bending over Riku and capturing him in a desperate kiss. His hand rested on the side of Riku's head, the other casually grasping his wrist, almost routinely feeling for the pulse as it sped up. Pulling back only slightly, Cloud held Riku's chin and looked into his eyes with such tenderness and fear and self-loathing that Riku was left speechless. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered. "I'm not strong enough to live through that again."

Riku's hands shook as he guided Cloud's head down to his chest, stroking his hair like that of a child as he searched for words. There was nothing to say, really, to such a heart-wrenching confession. Nothing except…

"I'm sorry."

They lay in silence for several moments, Cloud listening to Riku's heartbeat as he regained his composure. Suddenly, Riku's whole body went rigid, his heartbeat skyrocketing.

"Riku?" Cloud sat up to see the boy staring at nothing, eyes hollow and emotions hidden behind an iron mask. "What is it?"

And then Riku started to laugh. Just a chuckle really, aimed inward as if to strike his own heart with its cruel tone. The laughing got louder as tears began to fall from his eyes, and soon Riku was gasping for breath, fingers clenched tightly into the sheets around him.

Cloud, startled by the manic display, reached across Riku's now-shaking body and gripped his uninjured hand. "Riku?" he murmured, stroking the boy's wrist in an attempt to relax him. Riku let out a sound that was half laugh and half choked sob, staring viciously at the ceiling.

"I'm an idiot," he whispered to himself, voice dripping venom. "He knew. The bastard was just playing with me. I'm such a fucking idiot." Riku started coughing as the breath caught in his raw throat.

Cloud held his tongue, still holding Riku's hand as he took in the boy's every movement.

"Of course it was meant for you," Riku continued with a bark of hoarse laughter. "I'm so fucking gullible it makes me sick."

"Riku?" Cloud prodded, voice laced with concern.

"He really is a manipulative bastard."

"Riku, what are you talking about?"

"Sephiroth."

Cloud's grip on Riku's hand tightened painfully as the man's body tensed. "What did you just say?" he whispered.

"I said Sephiroth is a sick, manipulative psycho whose only purpose in life is to invent new ways in which to make you miserable."

The room grew quiet, but it was a tense silence, filled with rage and insight and harsh realization. Cloud's body began to shake, his blue eyes glowing as they honed in on the boy before him. "You mean to tell me," he growled, "that it was Sephiroth who did this to you?"

Riku's head snapped up, eyes clear and wide and focused as he came back to reality. "I thought you knew. You said I was defending him."

Cloud snarled. "I'll destroy him. I'll give that son of a bitch so much pain he'll be begging for death by the time I'm through with him."

"…Cloud?"

But the man was already beyond listening. He stood from the bed, every muscle taut like a predator in the hunt, every movement quick and precise and fueled by pure, utter loathing as he lifted his sword and stalked out the front door into the storm, Riku's calls fading away behind him.

**So I got a review on one of my other stories that said my characters were OOC, and I took a good look at my writing and realized they were right. I tried to stay more in character in this chapter (emphasis on **_**tried**_**), but I don't know if I succeeded…**

**P.S. I'm bound and determined to finish this story by September. It's going to happen. Yes. **

**Shit, did I just put that in writing?**

**I am so screwed.**

**~WindWisp**


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